


Soulmate Haunting AU

by we-killed-parker (wekilledparker)



Series: Prompt Fills from Tumblr [10]
Category: The Creatures | Cow Chop RPF
Genre: Haunting, M/M, brief contemplation of suicide
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-29
Updated: 2018-04-02
Packaged: 2019-04-14 09:43:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,624
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14133441
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wekilledparker/pseuds/we-killed-parker
Summary: (prompt fill from Tumblr)The one where your soulmate's ghost haunts you when they die.(second chapter has been added with an alternate version.)





	1. James, Seen.

**Author's Note:**

  * For [AgentSprings](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AgentSprings/gifts).



It wasn’t supposed to be like this. They were supposed to live longer, have more experiences together. Aleks never expected himself to grow old, but goddamn, he should’ve had more than a couple years with James.

The glass in his hand bounced and shattered as it hit the hardwood floor, shards scattering across his feet as he stared at the ghostly form of James standing in his kitchen. James looked just as surprised to find himself back there, he had left the apartment only fifteen minutes before.

_He’d been driving his car, going to pick up a couple things for dinner with Aleks, the two of them planning on a quiet night in but discovering they were short on drinks. It was Aleks turn to make dinner, so he’d volunteered to run out._

_He never saw the SUV coming from the side when he was half way through the intersection._

“James…” Aleks’ eyes burned and he caught himself against the countertop. “What happened?”

James looked down, seeing straight through himself to the floor. Mishka appeared at the sound of the broken glass, trotting right through his incorporeal legs and tilted her head curiously at Aleks.

“I- uh, I think I got T-boned,” James laughed nervously. His voice sounded weird even to him, like he was talking through a pipe.

Aleks slid to the floor and leaned against the cabinet doors, squeezing his eyes shut and scrubbing his hands over his face. “What the fuck, man.”

“In my defense, it wasn’t my fault.” James was careful as he stepped through the glass shards before realizing it was moot, the glass couldn’t hurt him anyways. He sat down next to Aleks. “I had the right of way and even looked, but the fucker came out of nowhere.”

Aleks hid his face in his hands, his stomach rolling just looking at James’ partially transparent and flickering form. He felt a chill on his arm and opened his eyes just in time to see James’ hand phase right through his arm.

“I’ve heard other ghosts can sometimes touch their soulmate still.” James mused, waving his hand through Aleks’ arm.

“Stop it.” Aleks pulled his arm back. “It’s cold and I’m grieving here, dude.”

James stopped, precisely interlocking his fingers and dropping them to his lap. “I’m still here, you don’t have to grieve me.”

Aleks whipped his head around, looking James full in the face with tears in his eyes. “You’re dead, James! You’re not here,” he flailed his arm, smacking his arm hard against the cabinet as he passed right through James.

James looked down at his legs stretched out in front of him, Mishka walking through them again as she carefully picked her way through the glass. She bumped her head against Aleks’ thigh and whined at him, sensing his distress. He rubbed her behind the ear and directed her away from the glass. She lay down beside him, uncertain of what was going on, but knowing he needed her nearby right now.

“But I am here, literally in spirit, we can still talk, we can still have the same relationship.” James said. “You just.. might have to do more work since I, y’know, don’t have a body anymore. To help with chores and shit.” he looked around awkwardly. “At least I don’t have to eat anymore, so less dishes to wash. Including the one all over the floor, that was my favorite glass too.”

He smiled at Aleks, trying to tease, but Aleks wasn’t having it. He sat there staring at the pile of glass, absentmindedly rubbing Mishka’s ear. He was lost in thought.

This is not how this was supposed to happen. He was supposed to go first, not James. James was more self preserving of the two, why did he have to be the one to die in a freak accident?

Aleks picked up a piece of glass, flipping it between his fingers. The sharp edge nicked his finger, a white line scratched into the side of his knuckle and a small drop of blood appeared on his pale skin. He inspected the glass, looked at James and then back to the glass.

“Oh no you don’t, you fucker.” James said, swiping at the glass. His hand passed through Aleks’ fingers, making him flinch at the temperature again, but he tightened his grip on the shard, his brow furrowed. James’ face twisted into a look of determination as he concentrated and swiped at him again. He made contact on the second go, his hand still partially translucent, but the clap of flesh on flesh snapped through the kitchen as their hands collided, the shard of glass flying across the room and skittering under the fridge.

Aleks blinked in shock, his now empty hand still raised. “Holy shit, dude.”

“Ha! See?” James raised his arms over his head in triumph. “I’m still here, and you’re stuck with me.”

He brought his hand down slowly, lowering it onto Aleks’ head with a gentle pat.

“Stop dude, it’s so fucking cold.”

“Sit still, I want to try something.” James giggled as he let his hand phaze through Aleks’ head, holding his fingers inside Aleks’ skull.

Aleks shoved himself to the side to get away, nearly falling over Mishka. “Stop! You’re going to give me a brain freeze!”


	2. Aleks, Unseen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was suggested by @agentsprings and I love me some angst, so of course I ran with it.   
> Similar premise to the last chapter, but what if the ghost wasn't visible.

Shattering glass and crunching metal were the last thing Aleks heard. It was instant, he didn't feel anything, but he opened his eyes and found himself standing in the kitchen of his and James’ apartment. His heart felt like it exploded into shrapnel as he knew without a doubt that he was dead.

Music blared through the kitchen and James was singing along as he put away dishes, stepping over Ein stretched out in the middle of the floor. It was a moment that Aleks rarely saw, sometimes he would hear James singing from the other room, but if James knew Aleks was there, he would stop, his face flushing.

_“I didn't know you were home yet.”_

_“I like your singing, you don't have to stop.”_

_“My singing is shit, no one wants to hear that.”_

He stood frozen in the doorway of the kitchen. This wasn’t what he expected the afterlife to be like. He had never believed in anything in particular, but this… this hadn’t even been on the list of possibilities. 

He turned as a soft thump of a slobber covered tennis ball and a quiet yip sounded behind him. Mishka looked up at him expectantly.

“You can see me, girl?” He asked. She tilted her head at him in response, glancing down at the ball and then back to him, waiting for him to throw it.

He gasped and flinched away as James stepped through him. It wasn’t painful, more unexpected than anything, but James flinched too. Aleks could see his skin prickle into goose bumps and he shivered. 

“What the hell, we got a draft or something?” He mused to himself as he glanced back before bending to pick up Mishka’s ball. “Hey doggo, where’s Aleks, huh? He should be home soon.” He said and tossed the ball down the hallway for Mishka to scamper after.

James went about his evening, eventually shutting off the music and booting up a video game in the living room. Aleks had only been supposed to be gone for an hour, but it was already past that. 

Aleks stayed rooted to the spot he originally found himself in. Mishka flopped onto the floor at his feet, huffing in frustration that he wouldn’t pet her. He didn’t try out of fear of causing her any discomfort the way James had experienced when he walked through Aleks.

James kept checking his phone, growing more irritated by the minute that Aleks hadn’t returned home. His phone stayed stubbornly silent.

A couple hours had passed when a knock sounded on the door and the dogs exploded into excitement.

“Alright, you two, chill out, Jesus christ,” James said, stepping high to get over the bundles of fur crowding his feet.

Aleks knew what was coming. He wished he could stop James from opening the door, wished he could protect James from the heartbreak he was about to experience. But it was too late. The door was open and James was hesitantly greeting two blue-clad police officers.

Aleks didn’t even listen to the conversation, waiting for the click of the door as the officers left. He only moved when he heard a heavy thud as James collapsed against the door and slid to the floor.

He wished he hadn't died so quickly. He wished he had felt any sort of pain for it as punishment, he didn't deserve to be so pain free while James suffered so much.

Ein and Mishka looked expectantly between the two of them, glancing from Aleks to the pile that was James in front of the door. Aleks finally moved to sit on the floor next to him, leaving a bit of space between them. He whistled and gently pat the air above James’ lap, inviting Ein to climb onto him. She did so enthusiastically and James immediately held her close and buried his face in her fur. Mishka slotted herself in between them, pulling her paw back as it slipped into the cold space Aleks’ leg occupied. 

There was nothing he could do but watch as James fell apart beside him. Without a physical body he couldn’t even cry as the emotions welled up inside him with no outlet.

He crumbled even more as James let out a choked sob, hugging Ein even tighter. Aleks slumped and banged his head against the wall.

If hell was watching the love of your life suffer alone, he was in it.


End file.
